Letters for Jan. 28, 2022

Corporate decisions to discontinue mandate

Starbucks and GE announced discontinuation of their employee vaccine requirement using the justification that the Supreme Court nullified the Biden administration mandate and that their corporations although encouraging vaccination would leave the choice up to their employees.

This rational is wholly inadequate. There was no requirement to discontinue their vaccine requirement in light of the court decision. Hence, it was a decision by these company leaders to discontinue the requirement. They now alone bear responsibility for the additional illness and deaths (and there will be unnecessary and senseless deaths) related to these misguided decisions.

Being a practicing health care provider seeing firsthand the tragedy of senseless, needless loss of life due to COVID-19 in the unvaccinated, the argument that it should be a personal choice when a company could assure broader vaccination is indefensible. If COVID only affected individuals declining vaccination such a decision could find some merit, but as this highly contagious disease has adverse health outcomes for many who unwittingly contract the virus from asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic carriers, Starbuck’s and GE’s decisions will have enormous, adverse ramifications. These leaders’ decisions will lead to unnecessary, senseless suffering and death. That raises the question, “How many lives is improving shareholder value worth?” I say not even one, but these leaders are willing to accept hundreds, if not thousands, of needless deaths and unimaginable suffering for the sake of profit. I would not be able to sleep at night with that blood on my hands.

Robert B. Kerr, MD

Spokane

Interview with John Stockton

I have always thought John Stockton was a Spokane ambassador. But his attitude towards the vaccine (today’s article) has me questioning that. When you are a young child, you have to get various vaccines to get into school. I’m sure Mr. Stockton did. I have lived in Spokane all my life, 61-plus years. I remember attending Roosevelt Elementary School and lining up in the hallway to get my shots. What has changed? Misinformation. It seems to me that Mr. Stockton chooses to ignore the real science. He says he has done his homework but he is doing a huge disservice to our community. Especially the Gonzaga community! I was a resident of St. Joseph’s Care Center for five months. I was vaccinated and I still got COVID. But my symptoms were mild. I also got the booster before I was released. I know, from my experience, that if I didn’t have two vaccines, and the booster, I would have been sicker.

Mr. Stockton deserves to have his tickets revoked. I agree with some of his statements but I also think he’s being extremely selfish.

Natalie Gibb

Spokane

Anti-vaxxer John Stockton

I am amazed that someone from Gonzaga could be so intentionally ignorant! I worked in the medical field for several years. Nothing he says is true. Vaccines have saved millions of lives. If all the anti-vaxxers die, then maybe we can evolve into a smarter species before we destroy ourselves and the whole planet.

Candy Frankel

Spokane

Chancery Building history

In the article concerning the demolition of the Chancery building, it seems the Landmark Commission is uncomfortable about the proposed new building having vinyl windows. Really?! We are fortunate to have in our city a gem of the Gilded age designed by the renowned Kirtland Cutter. Constructed of imported marble by skilled craftsmen, it represents a unique, glorious time in our history with bustling businesses and great wealth. It is irreplaceable in every sense of the word. It is not too late to rethink this proposal.

Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal won the 2021 Pritzker Prize, a prestigious architecture award. They’re distinctive because they do not build new buildings but rather work with what already exists. “Sustainability is to make things already existing last longer,” said Vassal in an article in Sierra magazine. In the same article Lacaton said, “Demolition is a waste of energy, of materials, a waste of history. For us, it is an act of violence.” Also, environmentally, the construction sector produces almost a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions in the form of operational and embodied carbon. The production of cement alone accounts for 8% of global greenhouse gas.

Anyone can build just another apartment building. They’re basically all alike. But we have the opportunity to create a magical space with cafes, boutique shops, offices and wonderful condos in a unique building. Spokane has wealthy people who value the arts. We can come together and make this a success story.

Eileen M. Martin

Spokane

John Stockton speaks

Sadly John Stockton, who is well respected in our community, has chosen to speak out on his anti-vaccine and anti-masking opinions even disregarding the rules to get into the McCarthey Athletic Center.

He admits he is a celebrity and the cameras show him at almost every game as our sports hero from Spokane and Gonzaga University. (I agree.)

Then why would you blatantly disregard the rules the school has set to keep people safe as they attend games in this terrible pandemic season?

We all dislike masks, but we don’t want to spread this horrible disease.

Maybe Stockton should take a health science class at Gonzaga.

Joe Stapleton

Colbert